Labeling machine



y 1943- G. w. VON HOFE 2,323,691

LABELING MACHINE Original Filed Dec. 2, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.62-0265 14 vow/v orz BY H 1943- G. w. VON HOFE 2,323,691

LABELING MACHINE Original Filed Dec. 2, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.GEORGE I44 ro/v fi ofif BY ATTORNEY July 6, 1943. G. w. VON HOFELABELING MACHINE Original Filed Dec. 2, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.GEORGE W. V0/V//0F Patented July 6, 1943 LABELING MACHINE George W. vonHofe, Bound Brook, N. J assignor to New Jersey Machine Corporation,Hoboken, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Original applicationDecember 2, 1936, Serial No.

113,796. Divided and this application February 6, 1940, Serial No.317,477

(Cl. ill-50) 2 Claims.

My invention relates to labeling machines and has for its object toprovide machines of the indicated type with novel means whereby theapplication of adhesive to the labels may be effected and controlled inan efiicient and simple manner. Other more specific objects will appearfrom the description hereinafter and the features of novelty will bepointed out in the claims. This application is a division of anotherapplication filed. by me in the United States Patent Oflice on December2, 1936, Serial No. 113,796.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate an example of theinvention without defining its limits, Fig. l is a sectional elevationof a labeling machine with the novel features embodied therein; Fig. 1Ais an elevation of the machine looking in the opposite direction fromFig. 1; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary front view of the labeling machine; Fig.3 is a detail section illustrating the novel adhesive applying roll andassociated take-oil" members forming part of the invention; Fig. 4 is adetail view of the mounting for the adhesive distributing roll, andFigs, 5 and 6 are diagrammatic views showing another novel feature ofthe invention.

The labeling machine includes a supporting frame II! on which a suitablehopper or container ll arranged to contain a supply stack of labels I2is supported at what may be termed the label pick-up station of themachine. The bottom I3 of the container 1 I is vertically adjustable inany customary manner as by rack 14 and pinion 15 for periodicallyrestoring the upper end of the stack of labels I2 to a predeterminedlevel in operative relation to th associated elements of the machine.The elevating mechanism is controlled in the well-known way by means ofa feeler l6 operated by means of a bell-crank lever 11 and a cam I8carried by a rock-shaft 19.

A suitable support 20 for the articles A to be labeled, is movable inthe specific form shown from an article receiving and removing positionto-a labeling position at the label applyingstation of the machine bymeans of a cam 21 fixed upon a driving shaft 2| rotatably mounted inconventional bearings on the frame 10. The machine further includesmeans whereby individual labels I2 are successively removed from thesupply stack at the pick-up station and transferred to the labelapplying station of the machine for application to the articles A. Asshown the transfer means consists of a carriage 22 slidably mounted on ahorizontal guide rail 23 and reciprocated thereon by suitable meansexemplified by the arm 24 on the rock-shaft l9 and associated elements.A suction head 25 is mounted in the carriage 22 and is verticallyrecipr'ocable thereon in any conventional way and by means of anywell-known mechanism; provision is made in any usual manner fordeveloping and controlling suction in the head 25 in proper timing in anoperative cycle of the machine.

The mechanism whereby the shaft 19 is rocked in a predetermined manneris illustrated in Fig. 1A and will be described more fully hereinafter.

In the instant machine the labels l2 picked up successively by thesuction head from the supply tack are provided with a .coating ofadhesive on one surface during the transfer of said labels from thepick-up station to the label applying station or th point of applicationto the articles A or their equivalent. For this purpose the machineincludes adhesive applying means consisting of an adhesive applying roll26 carried by a shaft 21 suitably journalled in the frame I0, and anadhesive distributing roll 28 located on a shaft 29 in tangentialrelation with the roll 26. 'To provide for the adjustment of the roll 28relatively to the roll 26, said shaft 29, in the illustrated example, isrotatably mounted on bell-crank levers 30 pivoted on the frame I0 at 31and provided with adjustable stop-screws 32 adapted to engage fixedstops 33; springs 34 maintain the stop-screws 32 against and return theminto engagement with the stops 33 to thereby determine the position ofthe roll 28 relatively to the roll 26. It will be understood that theframe I0 is provided with openings for the shaft 29 of such dimensionsas to permit the shifting of said shaft 29 during adjustment of the roll28 relatively to the roll 26. In the preferred arrangement the roll 26is formed with circumferential grooves 35 for the purpose to be morefully set forth hereinafter, and the roll 28 carries loosely mountedrings 36 adapted to project into the grooves 35 to prevent adhesive fromfilling the same. The novel arrangement further includes take-offmembers or fingers 31 fixed upon a stationary portion 38 of the frameI!) located rearwardly of the adhesive applying roll 26 so that thetake-off members 31 are likewise positioned length and so arranged as toproject beyond the peripheral surface of the roll 26 at their free ends.In the preferred arrangement the free end portions of the take-offmembers 31 project tangentially in the grooves 35 of the adhesiveapplying roll 26 below the peripheral surface thereof and beyond saidperipheral surface to an extent less than the horizontal radius of saidroll 26 in the direction of travel of the labels l2 toward the labelapplying station. Because of the fact that the take-off members 31project in the direction of travel of the labels and in the direction ofrotation of the roll 26, said members 31 are subjected to tensionalstrains when said roll 26 is in operation; in other words the members 31are not subject to any compression forces as is the case in existingmachines in which the pick-off members project in directions opposite tothe direction of rotation of the associated roll. As a result of theabsence of compression forces, as set forth above, the take-off members31 are at no time, required to resist any tendency to buckle andaccordingly may be made of very thin material without affecting theirefficiency: because of this fact the grooves 35 of the roll 26 may bemade correspondingly narrow. As a consequence of this arrangement thedry spots on the labels, that is the portions thereof which because ofthe presence of the members 31 and grooves 35, receive no adhesive, arevery narrow or in other words are of minimum dimensions. In practice itsometimes happens that because of careless cleaning of the adhesiveapplying roll 26, a residue of adhesive will remain in the grooves 35thereof so that, at the end of a rest period, the members 31 will besealed or glued in said grooves 35. With the instant novel arrangementthis will cause no damage because of the fact that the members 31 aresubjected to tensional forces when the roll 26 is rotated; any adhesiveconnection existing between the roll 26 and the members 31 isaccordingly easily disrupted with a minimum of mechanical force andwithout injury to any of the parts.

At the same time the free ends of the members 31, which project beyondthe peripheral surface of the roll 26 as set forth above, prevent thelabels from adhering to said roll 26 and from being carried with thesame in its path of rotation; in other words, the labels, after beingadhesively coated by the roll 26 as will be described more fullyhereinafter, will not be torn away from the suction head 25.

It is to be noted that the adhesive applying roll 26 is of relativelysmall diameter, that is not materially more than half the diameter ofthe adhesive distributing roll 28, so that the labels when carried bythe suction head 25 over and in tangential contact or adhesive receivingrelation to said r011 26 form therewith relatively small angles of onlyslight depth toward the apices thereof. This is due to the fact thatonly a minimum portion of the circumferential surface of the roll 26 isin tangential relation with a correspondingly small part of the surfaceof successive labels when the latter pass in contact or adhesivereceiving relation with said roll 26, while at the same time the surfaceof th roll 26 curves abruptly downwardly and away from said labelsurface. The tendency for adhesive to collect and pile up on the roll 26in the aforesaid angles is thus reduced to a minimum. The difference inthis respect between a roll 26 of relatively small diameter and thecustomary adhesive applying roll of relatively large diameter is showndiagrammatically in Figs. 5 and 6 respectively; as a result of theinstant novel arrangement, the adhesive coatings on the labels arecontinuously uniform and even, and the formation of beads of adhesive atthe rear edges of the labels is prevented. The arrangement of thetake-off members 31 to the rear of said roll 26 also assists inpromoting this result.

The distributing roll 26 dips into a supply of adhesive in a container39 of suitable construction and dimensions and mounted in the machine inany convenient manner. To facilitate access to the container 39 forfilling, cleaning purposes or the like, said container 39 may be carriedby a member 40 vertically slidable in a guide 4| on the frame ill; toenable the container 39 to be easily raised and lowered at will a handlever 42 is pivoted at 43 on the frame l0 and is connected with themember 40 by means of a link 44 as illustrated in Fig. 1. Any suitablemeans may be provided for locking the container 39 in its raisedposition; for instance. as shown in Fig. l, the lever 42 may be providedwith an opening adapted to removably receive a locking pin 45 properlymounted on the frame I0 for this purpose.

The rolls 26 and 23 are preferably geared together for instance by meansof a pinion 46 on the shaft 21 and a gear 41 on the shaft 26, and arepositively driven; for instance bymeans of a sprocket wheel 46 on theshaft 21 and a sprocket chain 49 connected with a suitable source ofpower.

In the operation of the machine, the carriage 22 is horizontallyreciprocated on the guide rail 23 and carries the suction head 25 fromthe pick-up station to the label applying station and vice versa. At thepick-up station the suction head 25 is caused to pick up the currentterminal label i2 from the supply stack and carry said label to thelabel applying station where said suction head 25 is operated to depositsaid label i2 upon the article A which is on the support 26 at the time.Subsequently, in properly timed sequence, the deposited label i2 may besubjected to the action of a vertically reciprocable pressure member 56controlled by a suitably operated lever 5| and associated mechanism tocomplete the application of said label to said article A The mechanismwhereby the rock-shaft I3 is rocked on its axis and the arm 24 isoperated to reciprocate the carriage 22 on the guide rail 23 comprises atoothed segment 52 fixed on said shaft l9 and meshing with a rack 53vertically movable in a guideway 54 suitably located on the frame Ill.The rack 53 forms part of an operating member 55 forked at its lower endto straddle the driving shaft 2|". The operating member 55 carries aroller 56 which projects into the cam groove 51 of a cam 58 secured uponth shaft 2!. The cam groove 51 is designed as shown, to cause the speedof transportation of the carriage 22 and its suction head 25, andconsequently of the labels l2 carried by the latter to vary relativelyto the speed of movement of the adhesive applying means during thetravel of said carriage 22, suction head 25 and transported label i 2toward the applying station of the machine.

When the carriage 22 travels to the left in Fig. 1 or in other wordstoward the label applying station, which is toward the right in Fig. 1A,the suction head 25 will occupy a raised position in which the label I 2which is in place thereon at the time, will pass in tangential uniformsurface .contact or in adhesive receiving relation with the adhesiveapplying roll 26 and in any case will receive an even coating ofadhesive upon its lower surface. During the return movement of thecarriage 22, the suction head 25- is carried at a level above theadhesive applying roll 26 and accordingly will pass above said rollwithout contacting therewith.

The arrangement and operation of the mechanism illustrated in Fig. 1A,is such that during the described travel of the carriage 22 toward theleft in Fig. 1, which is toward the right in Fig. 1A, the advance of thecarried label l2 when first engaging the adhesive applying roll 26 orwhen first coming into adhesive receiving relation therewith, will beslower than the surface speed of said roll 26 thereby causing the latterto develop a wiping action on said label which prevents the forward endthereof from accumulating excess adhesive; as the travel toward the leftin Fig.1 or toward the right in Fig. 1A continues, the advance of saidlabel l2 will be accelerated to become faster than the surface speed ofthe roll 26 whereby piling up of excess adhesive at the rear end of saidlabel is avoided.

As a result of this arrangement the coatings of adhesive applied tosuccessive labels are uniform and even, and extension of surplusadhesive from beneath the labels during application thereof underpressure is reduced to "a minimum or entirely done away with.

Because of the fact that in the instant novel arrangement the forwardedges of the labels l2 or their equivalent are located at a given pointin the supply stack regardless of the length or other dimensions of saidlabels, these forward edges constitute a factor which is constant. Byadvancing said labels toward the adhesive roll 26 at a speed which atfirst is less than the surface speed of said'roll 2B and subsequently isgreater than said surface speed, the application of the coating ofadhesive to said labels is accomplished without accumulation of excessadhesive at any part of said labels; in other words, .the adhesive isapplied uniformly and evenly at all times and undesirable soiling of thepressure member 50 and other elements of the machine with adhesive ispositively avoided. At the same time dry spots on the adhesive coatedsurfaces of the labels are reduced to a minimum because of the type andarrangement of the pick-off members 31 and the correspondingly narrowco-operating grooves 35 of said roll 26. As a result a maximum andefiicient adhesive connection between the labels and the articles towhich they are applied is effected by the machine.

The absence of seepage of adhesive also obviates the necessity forwiping of labels or articles and assures clean and efficient results.Furthermore, no skilled attendants are required to supervise theoperation of the machine.

Various changes in the specific forms shown and described may be madewithin the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

I claim:

1.,In a labeling machine, the combination of a holder for a supply oflabels, means for removing labels from said supply and transporting saidlabels to a labeling point, movable adhesive applying means, means formoving said adhesive applying means to apply coatings of adhesive tosaid labels during transport thereof to said labeling point, and meanswhereby the speed of transportation of said labels and the speed ofmovement of said adhesive applying means varying relatively to eachother in predetermined sequence.

2. In a labeling machine, the combination of a holder for a supply oflabels, means for removing labels from said supply and transporting saidlabels to a labeling point, a rotatively driven adhesive applying rollarranged to be tangentially engaged by said labels during transport tosaid labeling point whereby coatings of adhesive are applied to saidlabels, and means whereby the speed of transportation of said labelswhen initially engaging the adhesive applying roll is slower than thesurface speed of said roll and subsequently is faster than the surfacespeed of said roll.

GEORGE van HOFE.

